The Loudly Laughing Slytherin
by beestriped
Summary: Draco Malfoy didn't really remember Astoria Greengrass, except for her echoing laughter. So when he hears it again, bubbling up at a gala after the Dark Lord's demise, he can't really help but be intrigued by the woman she's grown to be.
1. Chapter 1

The first thing Draco really noticed about Astoria Greengrass was how unbearably loud the girl could be. Slytherins in general preferred to be quietly assertive, shouting and talking over each other was really quite middle-class behavior, something to be expected from Gryffindors but rarely a Slytherin. From the second the Sorting Hat declared her a Slytherin, Astoria Greengrass seemed unconsciously determined to defy stereotypes. Draco really only remembered her Sorting because Pansy had clutched his arm and hissed that the little girl with the chestnut plaits was Daphne Greengrass's baby sister. Astoria had plopped herself down at the Slytherin table with the other first years and brightly introduced herself. Her new classmates responded in noticeably quieter tones. After that the youngest Greengrass fell off of Draco's radar for the most part. He was too busy swaggering about Hogwarts and taunting Potter to take notice of another eleven year old girl. But as years passed Draco, along with the rest of the Hogwarts students, often heard the loud laughter that came from Astoria. The sound was ridiculously merry for a Slytherin pure-blood who slept in the dungeons every night. Draco would later learn that she had quite a wide circle of friends; Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, it was rumored that she was even civil with Ginny Weasley who respected Astoria's knack for casting jinxes. She also grew to be one of the prettier girls in her year; but Draco's last few years at Hogwarts didn't leave him much time to notice anything, much less girls.

Unsurprisingly the war took its toll on the Malfoy family and though Harry Potter made sure Narcissa and her family were spared from Azkaban, the Malfoys retreated to their manor with their tails firmly between their legs. Draco wasn't sure which he hated more; being stuck in the manor that seemed haunted by the Dark Lord's occupation, or being out in the Wizarding world subjected to nasty glares, muttered insults, and trip jinxes. Either way, wherever he went, his guilt accompanied him.

Meanwhile Astoria Greengrass had gone to Hogsmeade the night of the Battle of Hogwarts with the rest of the Slytherins. As open-minded as she was, her family was still one of the oldest pure-blood families left in Britain true to Slytherin form, Astoria really didn't want to die that night. Besides, the other students had made it perfectly clear that any Slytherin assistance was unwelcome. As the Wizarding world healed from the marks left by the Dark Lord, Astoria excelled in her classes, graduating Hogwarts near the top of her class, much to the pride of her parents who had been disappointed in Daphne's lack of academic ambition. The friends she had made in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw as well as the handful of Gryffindor acquaintances helped to establish her reputation as a "nice" Slytherin making her post-war life much easier than Draco's.

Two years after Harry Potter defeated Voldemort, the Malfoys began slowly creeping timidly back into Wizarding society. Those of their elite and wealthy friends that had escaped Azkaban were cautious when inviting the Malfoys to events but soon became more confident about including them once they weren't instantly ostracized for extending an invitation to an ex-Death Eater. However, over the next two years the Malfoy family had tentatively eased themselves back into the exclusive circle of Wizarding society. Draco tagged along with his parents to an increasing number of events. He knew his mother was hoping, as mothers do, that he would meet some girl who would make a future Mrs. Draco Malfoy. But he barely had his own life figured out, how was he supposed to mix a girl up in all that?

It was at a gala in June that he heard the almost-forgotten laughter of Astoria Greengrass. When the boisterous sound reached his ears he was making small talk with Blaise Zabini, a former classmate whom he was actually rather fond of. Blaise heard it too, "Merlin, that Greengrass girl was always so loud," he remarked sipping champagne and eyeing a blonde nearby. Draco nodded and craned his head around to spot the source of the boisterous laughter. A part of him wondered if she ever wore her hair in plaits or if it was the same luxurious chocolate that it had been when the Sorting Hat had been placed on it all those years ago. And there she was, standing in front of the tall windows, illuminated by the extravagant chandelier hanging from the ceiling. She was in a glimmering silver evening gown that fell to the floor. It clung to her slender form like the most graceful piece of jewelry he had ever seen. Her hair was the same color as it had been when she was eleven though it was now piled in an elegant mess on top of her head. She certainly looked far older than eleven standing there in that dress. Astoria laughed again, merrily as before and the young people that were circled around her laughed as well, looking delighted by her. They seemed to orbit her, gravitating towards her charming smile.

A part of Draco that he liked to ignore wanted to be as enchanted of her as they were. He kept chatting with Blaise about inane things like the weather and the latest Ministry decree, all the while keeping one eye turned to the youngest Greengrass. But he dropped his gaze when Blaise left to dance with some girl and when he looked up again she was gone. Draco proceeded to stand by himself, pretending to admire a nearby ice sculpture and feeling incredibly stupid in doing so. Spotting a door that led to a balcony, he saw his chance and took it, feeling his mother's eyes on him all the while. Outside the night air was cool, blowing a refreshing breeze on his pale cheek.

"You're not supposed to be out here," a voice said from the shadows to his left. Draco whirled around only to see a familiar figure leaning against the stone wall in a glimmering silver dress. "Oh really," he replied in a tone which implied that he really didn't care what he was supposed to do or not do. "Yeah, the doors were locked," she said, sitting down carefully on the wide stone balcony. Draco shoved his hands into his pockets, "so how did you end up out here?" he asked casually, trying to sound amused and realizing just how long it had been since he had talked to a girl. Astoria shrugged, "its so damn stuffy in there, I needed some air and since I'm capable of performing _alohamora_ I decided that locked doors really weren't that big of a challenge." Draco decided that he liked the faint traces of biting wit in her tone. "I'm Astoria by the way," she added, seeming to remember her etiquette and offering her hand to be shaken, smiling brightly up at him. Feeling slightly dazed, Draco took her hand and shook it firmly, "I'm Draco, Malfoy, Draco Malfoy," he said, fumbling to be smooth. She grinned, "I figured it was Malfoy, the last time I checked there weren't many other Dracos running around." He huffed out a laugh, secretly pleased that she wasn't treating him like the scumbag he felt like.

"Well, I'd better go back inside," Astoria said standing, reaching up and patting her hair. Draco wanted to touch her hair too. But she brushed past him and back into the ballroom. He stood there and let out a long sigh. "Hey, Draco," Astoria's voice piped from the doorway behind him. He turned to face her and raised an eyebrow. "Would you accompany me for a dance or two?" she asked, biting her lip. Suddenly Draco wanted to bite her lip too. And maybe leave a trail of kisses down her creamy neck. Then he realized that she was waiting for answer, it was ridiculous to think he would say anything but yes to eyes as big and sparkling as hers. "I'd love to," he said, flashing a smile, a kinder brighter version of the trademark Malfoy smirk. She beamed and he led her to the dance floor.

They wove in and out of the other dancers, spinning around awkwardly at first but then synchronizing as they whirled around. On the edge of the dance floor, Narcissa Malfoy nudged her husband and smiled happily into her champagne flute. She watched Draco relax the stiff pose she had become so used to seeing and smile at whatever the girl was talking about. Narcissa kept an eye on her son, watching him listen to his partner, soaking in whatever she was saying. Hardly anyone took notice of the scorned Malfoy heir who was gliding around the floor carefully holding the younger Greengrass daughter in his arms.

** Feel free to review with thoughts or suggestions. I imagine Draco to be about 22-23 and Astoria to be 20-21.


	2. Chapter 2

June passed by quickly, though the gala and Astoria Greengrass remained ever present at the front of Draco's mind. He paced around the manor, trying to think of some way to run into her again. But he could never really bring himself to actually go through it. It had been one thing to spin around with her on the dance floor, where everyone present at least had to tact to pretend like his family hadn't fallen into embarrassing disgrace. But out there, in Diagon Alley, in Hogsmeade, people didn't hold back from quietly jeering at him. And if she heard the muttered insults and saw the nasty glances that got tossed his way then maybe the wheels in Astoria's clever little head would start to turn. Sure she was a bizarrely friendly girl but his family still carried dark stains from. Even if he dared hope for something more than friendship, pure-blood marriages were still based on a family's respectability and the Malfoys had very little dignity left to cling to, let alone offer to a young woman in possession of a bright future. And Draco hadn't been the Slytherin Prince for nothing, he was far too proud to walk around asking for friendship or love without anything to offer. So he stayed in the Manor, brooding and scowling at his mother who kept pointedly asking him if he wanted to run errands in Diagon Alley. It was his mother who finally drove him out of the manor, he couldn't handle another remark about Astoria. Draco was sure that she had finally gone batty, one night spent talking to one girl and suddenly the formidable Mrs. Malfoy was making comments about grandchildren and weddings. He was thankful at least that his father only watched with a vaguely amused expression. Draco knew that his parents were just grateful to have something besides memories of the Dark Lord to speculate on. It was hard for the Malfoy family, who prized tradition above all else, to move forward. Their world consisted largely of Malfoy Manor, which Draco eagerly Disapparated from.

June had flown past quickly for Astoria as well although she hardly stayed in one place. It was in her nature to roam, to take interest in a lot of things at once. She traveled the countryside with Daphne and a few friends. Laid on warm and sunny beaches for days at a time. Astoria flirted with a handful of dashing young men but dropped them soon after she took interest which was her habit when it came to men. Still Draco lingered in her flighty mind but she pushed those thoughts out with foreign marketplaces and day trips. She flitted around the European countryside like a ghost in bright thin sundresses. But her mother missed her, Astoria could tell from the tone of the letters that came by owl from Greengrass Hall. Astoria felt guilty for fleeing the nest, for so easily leaving behind her family, so she returned to visit her parents. Back in her childhood bedroom she felt so small, like she was eleven again, waiting for her letter from Hogwarts. Her parents looked at her like she was eleven too, and at first Astoria reveled in it, she adored being in the center of attention. Sweet, easily pleased Daphne had soaked it all up when they were younger so Astoria welcomed the change. But after a few days she became uncomfortable as teh victim of her parents' doting. She began to remember why she had liked escaping to Hogwarts every year. It had been a much welcomed escape from the ordinary life at Greengrass Hall. Cautiously Astoria told her parents that she was going out to lunch with a few old classmates. This, of course, was a bold-faced lie. If Astoria didn't selfishly hoard this entire day to herself, free of parents and sisters, she was sure that spontaneous combustion was only inevitable. Determined to avoid potential run-ins with old friends who were dying to catch up, Astoria plopped a wide-brimmed floppy hat on her head, hoping it would conceal enough of her face to remain unrecognizable.

Diagon Alley was crowded, and Draco remembered how he hated going out when Hogwarts classes let out for the summer. Children were less subtle than their parents, those who did recognize his signature white-blond hair gave him awful looks. They were looks of fear and disgust that were ten times worse than jinxes and insults. He walked through the crowd, a remaining figure of a darker time that had been filled with fear. So Draco kept his head down and never talked to anyone more than was absolutely necessary, always taking care to be polite. He made his way to the Leaky Cauldron carefully, but the care went to waste when a slim figure in a ridiculously large floppy hat got shoved into his chest, pushing him into the hard bricks behind him. "Merlin, I'm so sorry," Draco said hastily, removing his hands from the stranger. But a gleaming smile gleamed up at him from under the brim of the hat and slender hands pulled the hat down. Astoria Greengrass's pale face emerged from underneath and Draco's hands suddenly became clammy. "Draco Malfoy!" she exclaimed, Draco suddenly remembered how damn loud her voice could be and he could see several passerby glance over with interest. "One dance and then you run off and I have to bump into you on the street to get your attention again!" Astoria said merrily. Draco let a smile spread over his face, how could she not know that all she needed to do to get his attention was to keep inhaling and exhaling. "How could you guess that I'm trying to avoid you?" He teased her. Astoria smiled widely, "is it because I'm such a dreadful dancer?" she asked, pushing out her lower lip in a faux pout. Draco laughed and Astoria wondered how long it had been since he last did that. "No, not at all, you're a wonderful dancer." He reassured her; Astoria threw him a doubtful look and then asked him what he was doing in Diagon Alley. Draco explained how he was escaping the confines of the Malfoy manor for the day then looked take aback when she beamed at him. "Excellent, I'm running away from my parents too, might as well pop in for lunch while we're at it," she said decisively. Before Draco could refuse she turned and started ambling towards the Leaky Cauldron. He took a second to admire the thin sundress that floated down her knees and the way that her mahogany hair tumbled down her back. In the midst of this reverie Draco felt slender fingers wrap around his wrist in an iron grip. Astoria had grabbed him and was tugging him insistently towards the Leaky Cauldron. Smiling Draco followed her up the street, making a note to leave Malfoy Manor more often.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been only two days since Draco had run into Astoria Greengrass in Diagon Alley. In the space of those two days Draco had written at least sixty notes to Astoria and sent none of them. Since the war had ended his exposure to women of his own age had been practically non-existent. Any girls who might have once been interested in the only Malfoy heir were carefully shepherded away from that idea by parents who didn't want their daughters associated with the fallen-from-grace Malfoys. Even at Hogwarts Pansy Parkinson was really the only girl he had ever been involved with. Draco used the word "involved" because his relationship with Pansy really only consisted of her clinging to his arm and a few fumbles in dimly lit corridors. He tried to forget most of it anyways. So he wasn't really sure how to go about getting Astoria's attention. By now he had realized that she must have some sort of defect of the mind that kept her from treating him like the majority of wizards did. Draco knew he had to cling onto this thread of hope that there was at least one person out there that wouldn't treat him like some diseased leper. Despite all this, he sat at his ornate desk with crumpled attempts at flirtation in heaps on the floor around him. Putting his head in his hands and sighing deeply Draco resigned himself to a lifetime of hermitage.

On the other hand, Astoria was definitely not the type to sit around moping. During the two days that Draco spent racking his brains Astoria had attended a garden party with her mother, gone shopping with Daphne and somehow had ended up dancing on top of a bar. She blamed that incident on the effects of firewhiskey and tried not to care that she had been kicked out of her second favorite pub. She had also been hoping that Draco would send an owl or something of the sort. Astoria had flirted obnoxiously with him over their lunch at the Leaky Cauldron. To her amusement he had blushed several times, his pale cheeks turning bright pink. Despite this, no owl from Malfoy manor had tapped at her window bearing a message from Draco. Sitting up in her bed Astoria wondered if she had misread the signs. She knew, as every family in Wizarding high society did, that the Malfoys had practically shut themselves up in their lavish manor after Harry Potter had made sure the Ministry pardoned them for their war crimes. Of course there had been heavy fines, the Ministry couldn't let the Malfoys get off with nothing, but it was only a minor dent in their ludicrously full Gringotts vault. Astoria briefly entertained the idea that maybe Draco hadn't liked her at all. She had never really seen him with anything sort of girlfriend unless you counted Pansy Parkinson which not many people did. Though she had been in Slytherin, she had been two years younger than Draco who had been in Daphne's year. Smiling at the memory of Hogwarts Astoria remembered how young she had been. That didn't stop her from being noisy though. She was so talkative that people often mistook her for a Ravenclaw. Once someone had asked her if she belonged to Gryffindor and she had forgotten all about her wand and punched the boy square in the jaw. Ironically that incident had led to her reluctant friendship with Ginny Weasley who had broken up with the same boy the week before. Turning her thoughts back to Draco, Astoria wondered if she should just forget about him entirely. It was not in her nature to chase after boys who showed no interest. But there was something about the Malfoy heir. Maybe it was his broad shoulders or his trademark smirk. His bum was pretty lovely too, that was a possible factor. Or perhaps it was the look of something akin to fear when he walked through the middle of the crowd in Diagon Alley with her. Astoria didn't believe in the notion of fear. That was one of the reasons that the Sorting Hat had considered placing her in Gryffindor. It had quickly changed its mind when she had threatened it with a fraying jinx however. So Astoria Greengrass Summoned parchment and a quill and sat down to write to Draco Malfoy, whether he liked her or not.

Draco was still sitting in frustration at his desk when the tap of an owl came at his window. The unfamiliar owl dropped a letter on the floor and nipped at him. Absentmindedly Draco gave it a treat before watching it soar out the window. As he picked up the letter he hoped that it wasn't any more nasty letters from Wizarding society. Those hate letters were awful because they carried the sting of truth in them. For weeks after the Dark Lord's death, Howlers had screamed day and night in the Malfoy Manor. But this letter turned out to be from Astoria Greengrass and a feeling not dissimilar to nervousness settled in his stomach.

_Draco,_

_I'm writing to you because I thoroughly enjoyed our lunch the other day and I want to do it again. Pick me up at 7:30 tomorrow night for dinner at the Gundragen. See you then._

_Yours,_

_Astoria_

Draco couldn't believe his eyes so he read it seven more times before Astoria's message sank in. She had _thoroughly enjoyed_ their lunch the other day. Even though he had been less than his former charming self. Despite that she wanted to do it again. And this time it sounded suspiciously like a date. Draco couldn't even remember the last time he had been on a date. Probably at Madam Puddifoot's with Pansy. That memory made him shudder. He was really past the point of no return with this girl. His heart, which he had previously thought would be eternally cold and still, was filled with a strange fluttering feeling that made him feel like a giddy twelve-year old girl. _Yours_, she had signed it. What did that even mean? Did she have feelings for him? Did she want to be his? Now that would really be too good to be true.

As Draco tried with little success to keep his cool, Astoria settled back down into her bed. Smirking she wondered what Draco thought of her invitation. She hoped that he didn't think it was too forward of her because Draco Malfoy was slowly growing on her.

If you wouldn't mind leaving a review so I know what you guys think of this story so far or maybe something you'd like to see in the coming chapters that would lovely. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Greengrass Hall was an elegant estate. It paled in comparison to some of the wealthier pure-blood families though. Still, it had a reputation of being one of the more stunning places of residence. The rolling grounds were magically manicured with a full staff of wizard gardeners. Greengrass hall itself remained in a state of near perfection thanks to its generations of meticulous inhabitants. The floors were always polished, the windows always shone and not a cobweb was to be found on the premise. Up a sweeping staircase and down an echoing hall lay Astoria's own room. It was lavish, boasting a luxurious closet and bathroom. Astoria herself stood in front of a mirror, charming her hair to lay just the right way. Then she selected a dress with care. As the clock on her wall ticked ever closer to 7:30 she had to put more and more effort into stamping out any nerves. It was mildly embarrassing because Daphne had always been the one to go into a tizzy over some boy. Not that Draco Malfoy was just some boy. She inhaled deeply and smoothed her dress (for maybe the hundredth time).

Miles away at Malfoy Manor, Draco had completely abandoned the thought of calm hours ago. Several suits were strewn haphazardly across the room. Narcissa and Lucius sat in the drawing room below, listening to the sound of their son's frantic footsteps above and the interjections of cursing. Whenever the cursing became audible, Narcissa pursed her lips and glared pointedly at her husband who would suddenly develop a fixation on the vaulted ceiling. Upstairs Draco was tugging at his hair in frustration. Cursing he blamed this un-Malfoy-like behavior on that ridiculous Greengrass girl. Without her invitation he would be sitting in the library or drawing room like any other night. Even as he muttered and paced he tried not to acknowledge that faint fluttering of something in his stomach. He was running out of time, and quickly.

At 7:29 precisely, Astoria heard a loud _crack_ and a muffled curse. Only seconds later a knock came at the door. Schooling her face into an expression of effortless calm, Astoria swung the heavy door open to reveal Draco Malfoy standing on the marble steps. He looked as handsome as ever but the quick smirk he sent her caused a melting sensation in Astoria's stomach. "Astoria," he greeted her calmly, Astoria beamed back at him unknowingly slowing his brain. "Good evening Draco, shall we go?" she replied, stepping out and pulling the door shut behind her. Draco offered his arm, "you don't mind Disapparation do you?" he asked as they turned and Astoria felt the familiar sensation envelop her.

They arrived a block away from their destination and as they strolled towards it Draco was almost giddy. After they had Apparated Astoria had kept her arm looped through his own and seemed to have no intention of moving it. Inside the restaurant, the host led them to the table that Draco had requested, a table for two that had a shred more privacy than the others. As they wound their way through the maze of tables Draco wished that Astoria was wearing a large brown sack. Initially he had been delighted to see her in a dress that had wrapped around her curves and ended teasingly inches above her knees. But now, walking through the crowded restaurant, Draco wished that he was the only one looking at Astoria like she was the proverbial drink of water in front of a thirsty man. He couldn't blame them though, if he was being totally honest with himself, a man would had to be insane to not look at Astoria when she waltzed into the room.

Astoria couldn't remember the last time that she had enjoyed a meal so much. Draco was clever and charming and snarky as they ate their way through the three course meal. He was curious about the she had traveled to after Hogwarts and Astoria learned that he had been to a few of the same places when he was younger. She was careful to skirt around any mention of the war, steering the conversation towards lighter topics. When asked about his hobbies Draco reluctantly admitted that he collected rare editions of books which Astoria had laughed at before she realized that apparently he was serious. She then proceeded to tease him about his grouchy old-man-like tendencies. Time passed by quickly and before either of them realized it, they could linger no longer in the Gundragen. "Walk with me," Astoria ordered when they finally left. She wasn't quite ready to part ways with Draco just yet. A few blocks down the lane a park with twisting paths lay invitingly.

Draco was glad that Astoria had asked him to walk with her, he knew that he wasn't ready to leave her on her doorstep anytime soon. She led them to a park and they strolled around leisurely in the summer night. Next to him, Astoria inhaled deeply before sighing, "I love nighttime, don't you? Its so calm and safe and warm." Draco stiffened, he hated nighttime, it dragged up dark memories and nightmares that never left him. "I suppose so," he said stiffly, fighting to remain in the present moment. But Astoria continued, "its just so peaceful and gentle when its dark outside" she said happily. Draco's mind flashed full of dark things and high laughter mixed with screaming, the mark that was still etched onto his arm seemed to tingle. "I'm not too fond of dark things," he managed to say gruffly. Next to him, Astoria stopped and looked at him. He could see in her eyes that she knew what he was thinking. For a long moment she stood there, looking hard at him. Then her face hardened as if she had made up her mind to do something. Draco closed his eyes and braced himself for the fall, here was the part where she realized that he was far from the hero in her story, that he was a villain. But then soft lips fell tenderly on his, it felt like reassurance and safety and Astoria.

She had stretched herself up on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on Draco Malfoy's lips. Astoria Greengrass had never kissed a man like this. Her kisses were hot and fast and passionate. This was slow and tender and entirely new. Astoria had seen a desperate gleam in his eyes when she had looked at him, had seen the direction that his mind was turning and she had cursed herself. Of course he wouldn't like nighttime, when the world was at its darkest. He had been blackmailed into serving _the Dark Lord_ for Merlin's sake. When he looked at a night sky he probably remember the awful green light of the Dark Mark shining over a decimated house. So she had kissed him without the singular thought of keeping him from thinking about such terrible things. Then, almost as if they couldn't help themselves, her arms traveled over his broad shoulders and wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer. Fisting her hands in Draco's hair, Astoria kissed along his jaw and down his neck, smirking to herself when he let out a ragged moan. Seemingly impatient Draco pushed her up against a tree and let his hands roam freely over her body.

This was going to be the death of him, Draco knew it. He was going to have to kiss this girl until he ran out of oxygen. The smell of perfume on her was intoxicating and the feel of her body under his hands was simply maddening. Draco felt like he couldn't get enough of her even with his hands running through her thick hair and her body tight up against his. If he had years and years maybe he could do everything he'd like to do with Astoria but in this moment if felt like even that would never be enough.


	5. Chapter 5

Draco Malfoy sat on an armchair, illuminated by cold moonlight. It was one o'clock in the morning and he couldn't stop his head from spinning. Tonight Astoria Greengrass had stood on her tip toes and planted a blistering kiss on his lips. That tiny action had stopped those all-too familiar memories of the Dark Lord and his Death Eater days. It had grounded him solidly back in reality, the wonderful reality where Astoria Greengrass dwelled. He wasn't really sure how long they had been in the park, kissing lips and necks and shoulders. But when that rush of passion started to slow, he had pinned Astoria to a tree and his head was buried in her creamy shoulder. They had stood there in silence for a few minutes, her hands working their way through his hair. Moving from that spot was the last thing he had wanted to do. But his mother had beaten gentleman-like behavior into his head as child. So they Disapparated back to Greengrass Hall and he left her standing on the marble steps with a soft and lingering kiss. Then he had walked away, back into the night, back to the hollow Malfoy Manor. But Draco had thrown a quick glance over his shoulder. And the image of Astoria, grinning widely and touching her lips was still etched onto the back of his eyelids. Even now he could still smell her perfume as though she was sitting next to him. It seemed like so long ago that they had danced at the gala in June. How could he have not known how wonderful Astoria really was? Even at Hogwarts, a first-year Slytherin girl with such raucous laughter had only been a tiny blip on his self-absorbed radar. Now that same girl had breezed into his life and changed everything.

In Greengrass Hall Astoria had found no sleep either. Unlike Draco's thoughts that raced in confusing and strange directions, her mind was remarkably clear. Draco Malfoy was made of different material than any man or boy she had ever met. Having kissed her fair share of men, Astoria could say with certainty that she had never felt the way that Draco Malfoy made her feel. It was a pleasant feeling, though she cringed at the cliché. When his hands had trailed down her body in the park, she had felt no fireworks or blazing heat. Only a sensation of sureness, she had been completely wrapped up, unaware of anything except Draco, his lips and where his hands were roaming. That was new and unsettling. Through the years, she had never been constant with boys. Astoria had rushed towards them like the ocean only to dance out of their reach like the tide. What she knew best was independence, lovely and isolating. To need someone was something foreign to Astoria Greengrass. Her family knew this and understood as best they could. Her mother and father let her come and go, loving her and missing her. This feeling that Draco evoked was something akin to what love must be. This delighted her and terrified her by turns. Tired of thinking about this, Astoria downed a Sleeping potion and let her eyelids flutter shut.

When the morning came Draco had given up on the idea of sleep entirely. At the breakfast table the Malfoy family ate in their usual comfortable silence. Draco focused on his food, not meeting his mother's curious glance. Lucius read the Daily Prophet as was his tradition and really didn't care about Draco's social life which was also his tradition. Finally Narcissa couldn't take her son's deliberate silence. "How was your night last night?" she asked, believing herself to be subtle. Hidden behind his paper Lucius rolled his eyes because when it came to their son, Narcissa was as subtle as a jinx in the face. Across the table, Draco continued eating, "it was fine" he mumbled through a mouthful of food. Narcissa sighed exasperatedly, "what did you do?" she demanded. "I went out, mother," Draco said, sipping pumpkin juice. Not for the first time, Narcissa wished that she had a daughter whom she could pump for information and who, undoubtedly, would elaborate more with her answers. "Well, who did you go out with?" she tried once more, crossing her fingers under the table that he had gone out with a girl. Flippantly, Draco answered "a person," and left the breakfast table. As he walked away, Draco heard his mother sigh in frustration and his father turn the pages of the Daily Prophet.

Astoria sipped coffee in the kitchen of Greengrass Hall, she too sat at the breakfast table with her parents and Daphne but no pointed questions were launched her way. Her parents had learned long ago that they would never receive reassuring answers from their youngest daughter. Daphne could've asked but as older sisters usually are, she was really unconcerned with her sister's love life.

A week passed and Draco sent at least a dozen owls to Greengrass Hall and at least a dozen times he received no answer. Astoria of course had received all of his messages and agonized over them for hours but still remained determined not to acknowledge them. It was really best not to be dependent on anyone else. And she had been perfectly happy being on her own for years, there really was no need to change that. This feeling would pass just like all the other phases she had gone through and she would finally stop missing Draco Malfoy. Until now she would have thought it impossible to miss anyone except her own family but Draco had changed that too. She could scream that she missed him until she was blue in the face. But she just pushed that gut-wrenching feeling down. Meanwhile Draco was sure that he was slowly losing his mind. Why wasn't Astoria writing back? The worst question was the one that haunted him the most. Maybe she had realized that she could do better than someone who felt as broken as he did. Maybe she had come to her senses and was kissing other men in parks. That thought made him sick.

A late July night saw Astoria dressed in a floor length gown standing in front of the hall mirror and adjusting her perfect coiled hair on top of her head. Any moment the Greengrasses were going to leave for the engagement party being thrown in the honor of Blaise Zabini and his engagement to a Slytherin named Sylvia Melville. Zabini had raked in Galleons when he started a company that helped repair damages after the war so the engagement party was expected to be a lavish affair. Daphne and Astoria Disapparated seconds after their parents and together the family made their way up the steps of the Zabini mansion. Astoria's stomach felt like it was tied in knots. Draco was undoubtedly going to be in attendance tonight, having been a fellow Slytherin in the same year as Blaise at Hogwarts. Inside the mansion, silver banners hung from the ceiling, embroidered with Blaise and Sylvia's initials. A lavish spread of food was sitting at tables that circled around a vast dancefloor. Astoria snatched a champagne flute from the tray of a passing waiter and downed it quickly. This earned her a worried look from Daphne. Ignoring her sister's curious nudges, Astoria made her way to a group of people she recognized from Hogwarts. Parker Ledburry, a girl she had shared a dormitory with, smiled at her and Astoria, with no sign of Draco, began chatting with her.

Astoria hadn't seen Draco because the Malfoys had only just Apparated on the Zabini estate. At the last minute Draco had declared he wouldn't be going after all. His stomach was sick with the thought that he might see her and she would ignore him. Or that she would have someone else on her arm. But Narcissa had put her foot down and so an irritated Draco was marching up the steps with his parents wondering why he hadn't moved out on his own like any other sane young wizard. Walking in Draco smirked, he was quietly pleased that Blake had done well. His old friend had also retained his ability to show off and the room was decorated that appeared as though no expense had been spared no expense. A loud peal of laughter caught Draco's attention and, with a sinking feeling in his stomach, he recognized it as Astoria's. Using his height to his advantage Draco caught sight of Astoria laughing with a girl and several young men whom he vaguely recognized from Hogwarts. Her long black dress shimmered and draped itself around her slender frame, falling to the ground. As she turned Draco saw that that black dress had an open back, revealing a shocking amount of creamy skin. This caused a clenching feeling in Draco's stomach and he turned away.

Astoria felt Draco's eyes on her, but determinedly she kept cracking jokes with Parker and a few young men that had joined them. She wondered what Draco was thinking, whether he was angry or hurt at her coldness. The thought of hurting him made her stomach sick. Astoria shook the feeling off. As the night passed she drank four more flutes of champagne and danced with at least six eager partners. Her air of distraction shot down any budding hope that they might have had. Meanwhile Draco hadn't danced with anyone and stood stoically next to his parents. He wasn't really sure why he went anywhere with them. While many liked Narcissa for her fashion taste and caring nature, Lucius Malfoy was an intimidating figure to approach for small talk. To his mother's frustration, Lucius acted just as superior as he had before the Dark Lord's second rise and eventual fall. Although Draco knew this was because his father was unsure and afraid of the changing Wizarding society, unsure of how to deal with it, Lucius stayed the same as he always had. He muffled his beliefs of blood purity though to Draco's relief. Still, even many of the high society Wizarding families were reluctant to approach the tainted Malfoy family. Hearing Astoria's laugh once more, Draco huffed in frustration and excused himself. He strode past Astoria and other dancing couples, out the front door once more. A cool breeze brought relief as he sat down on the marble steps.

Astoria watched Draco leave with worry, the angular set of his jaw causing her to wonder why he was striding out. She finished the dance and decided to follow Draco, leaving her partner standing awkwardly in the middle of the dance floor. Through a massive glass window she caught a glimpse of him sitting on the front steps. Quietly Astoria sat next to him. As moments passed in silence, Astoria spoke up, "why are you out here?" she asked quietly. Draco finally turned to look at her and the awful look in his eyes made her want to cringe. "I don't blame you for ignoring my owls" he asked in a quiet voice. Astoria froze, before she could even try to explain herself, Draco continued, "I get it though, I've done terrible things," he said slowly. Astoria's heart felt like it was ripping. "No Draco, I know what you've done, the kind of person you were." she said tentatively, watching Draco for a reaction. "But, those were the actions of a scared boy, you've changed since then. That didn't have anything to do with it." She finished, fiddling with her hands. When she chanced a look at Draco she could see him trying to work through what she had said.

Draco was thoroughly confused. His days as a Death Eater, when he had been forced to do unspeakable things, had nothing to do with Astoria Greengrass ignoring his owls. he was distracted when Astoria spoke up again. "Its me, Draco, really," she sighed, putting her golden head in her hands. "I've never stuck with anything, ever, and I'm not sure that I could stick with you." She said, meeting Draco's eyes apologetically. Draco thought for a minute before he asked, "so you don't _want_ to stick with me?" he asked slowly to which Astoria began shaking her head. "Of course I do, but I'm not sure how long that will last and the last thing that I would want to do is hurt you." She said sadly looking down at the steps. Draco let out a half-laugh, "Astoria Greengrass, I really don't care, I'll take what I can get." He said, smiling at her. He lost his breath when she beamed back at him.

Once again thanks for reading, I hope you guys are liking it so far. Feel free to review, thanks!


	6. Chapter 6

Draco had done a lot of thinking since the final defeat of the Dark Lord. He had sat around his family's ancestral home and just thought. He thought about all the stupid things he did, what a prick he was at school and what a miracle it was that know-it-all Granger was the only person who had had ever punched him square in the face. Since he had been born, Draco had been groomed to be right no matter what he said. Narcissa had pounded manners into his head but Lucius had taught Draco that manners were meant for those who were equal to you. And no one was equal to a Malfoy. It had been easy for Draco to grow up into a prick. He had the money and the influence to make sure that any mistakes he made came free of consequences. So when the war was over, Draco had had to deal with the aftermath of his mistakes. It had been the worst directly after the Battle of Hogwarts and Harry Potter's defeat of the Dark Lord. People had openly sent jinxes and curses his way, something that no one had dared to do previously. But it had been five years since then and things were slowly starting to slow down for the Malfoys. They would never return to the life that had been normalcy for them, that much was clear however much Lucius pretended otherwise. Draco had taken refuge in the Malfoy Manor even though it still contained traces of Voldemort for Draco. Sometimes he woke, screaming in the night from dreams filled with death and blood and _Avada Kedavra_. But no one rushed in, Malfoys did not comfort each other from nightmares. Draco had lived his life trying to survive the present moment, not giving much thought to his future other than it was vaguely bleak.

That had begun to change when Astoria had swept into the picture with her loud laughter and wide grin. Since Blaise Zabini's engagement party they had spent almost every day together. They had gone dancing, taken trips to the seaside and she had once convinced him to venture into Muggle London. His guard had dropped the day he met her and he wasn't quite sure what kind of person he was without it. Any smug confidence or entitlement had been swept away after the war. Sitting in a library armchair in Malfoy Manor, Draco wondered what he would say when he inevitably met Astoria's parents officially for the first time. Everyone knew about his part in the war but he had done nothing since then. Unless you counted sitting around your parents' house and hiding from the rest of the world. What if Mr. Greengrass asked him what he did for a living? Or what he wanted to do with his life? Or where he lived? He couldn't reply that he lived with his parents and had hardly left it since the end of the war five years ago. Draco still had a small amount of dignity left that would prevent him from saying that. So he decided that he needed to do something that would help him give a satisfactory answer when he was asked that question. If not for Astoria's sake then at least for his own. Although nothing specific jumped out at him, Draco knew that he didn't want to live out his days with only his parents for company. He mumbled some excuse about Diagon Alley to his parents before Disapparating. Draco's first stop was Gringotts to withdraw money from his personal vault. He had made a few smart investments when he was younger so his own vault wasn't too shabby although it was a trinket in comparison with what he would eventually inherit.

Pocketing the money, Draco wandered into the neighborhoods around Diagon Alley, an area known for its dense population of magic-practicing inhabitants. Sospus Avenue was lined with trees and was the location of a post-war building set aside completely for witches and wizards. These flats were high-end and luxurious. After five minutes in the flat on the fifth floor, Draco signed a lease and made his first payment in Galleons on the spot. It was a spacious apartment with tall French windows, boasting a fireplace for convenient Floo-ing and dark paneling covering the walls. When he returned to Malfoy Manor he tried to break the news gently to his parents. To no one's surprise Lucius Malfoy spent half-an-hour lecturing his son on how, when _he_ was Draco's age, he was married and still living in Malfoy Manor. It was generally understood that it was better for all Malfoys to life under the same roof. Draco firmly reminded his father that times had changed and he couldn't keep living every day the same way. Finally Narcissa put a gentle hand on her husband's velvet-clad sleeve and shot him a stern look. "Let Draco make his own decisions, Lucius, things are different now," she said in a calming voice. Shaking his head, Draco's father left the room followed by Narcissa who kissed her son on his pale cheek before leaving. This left Draco alone with his thoughts and a great deal of packing to do.

Astoria was incredibly curious when Draco's owl tapped at her window and delivered a letter bearing only an address that had been scrawled in his handwriting. She wasn't really sure what to expect but she Disapparated there anyways. She was surprised when she ended up on the steps leading up to a stone building. Up five flights of stairs she walked until she stood outside the address that Draco had sent to her. Unsure of what to expect, she knocked firmly on the door. Draco pulled it open and beamed at the sight of her.

** A little note about Draco. I don't write him as cocky/arrogant as he is in other post-war fics because I think that after the war people would really hate the Malfoys (I imagine Harry would have helped let them off easy because Narcissa helped him) and in Draco's life he's never really been told that he's wrong or that he's a bad person. But after the war everyone that his family had wronged stopped being so quiet about their dislike of the Malfoys (purebloods and high society mostly treat them cautiously because they're not quite sure what to make of them now). So he wouldn't really be sure of how to act and if he acts apologetic maybe people will leave him alone (I think he would feel really guilty). I think he's realized that he was in the wrong all along and he's trying to reconcile this realization with his traditional Malfoy upbringing. Draco's pretty steady but sometimes easily provoked. The few things that annoy him, _really_ annoy him. He's changed a lot in the five years since the war although he's still our proud, snarky, charming Draco (he's learned to control the few nasty thoughts he has). He's trying to figure out who he's going to be and what he's going to do with the rest of his life. Essentially I think he's looking for a new purpose. I also believe that he's incredibly grateful to have Astoria in his life and tries his best to be worthy of her (she thinks he already is).


	7. Chapter 7

Astoria had stayed late at Draco's new apartment, partially because she hadn't wanted to go and partially because she could tell that Draco was uneasy with so much change. She wasn't surprised, for generations the Malfoy family had lived in their sprawling manor and accumulated wealth. Over the years they had realized that producing only one child to inherit all the gold in their vast Gringotts vault was the best way to keep the money in the family. And so there had always been only one Malfoy heir and they were invariably male. The family also came from the more strictly traditional side of high Wizarding society which eventually led to their affair with the darker side of magic.

The majority of Wizarding elite was more modern, Galleons were Galleons and if a family had enough of those then the matter of blood purity could be forgotten. Astoria's family were generally not as prominent in society as the Malfoys or the Zabinis but still received invitations to all the best parties. This was mostly because the Greengrasses were well-liked by almost everyone. Over the years they had maintained their position in society by getting along with pretty much everyone. Maybe that inherent Greengrass ability was why Astoria was unusually popular for a Slytherin. When the Sorting Hat had settled on her young head, it had reasoned that she would make an excellent Ravenclaw because of her vast amount of curiousity and her already budding love for new experiences. When she had rejected that notion, the idiotic piece of headgear had actually had the audacity to suggest Gryffindor. At this eleven-year old Astoria had vowed to master fraying spells until she could come back for revenge if she was sent to the house of red and gold. Half a second after that, the Sorting Hat had hollered out Slytherin and quietly ordered Astoria to never try it on again.

Beaming she had taken a seat at Slytherin table. Daphne sat at that table, a few seats down from her friend Pansy Parkinson and a blond boy Astoria would soon learn to be the Malfoy boy, Draco. During her years at Hogwarts she had realized that inter-House friendships were possible despite all the commotion that Harry Potter and his friends stirred up. So little first-year Astoria had plopped herself down in seats next to Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws and the rare Gryffindor. Becoming friends with them wasn't particularly hard if you kept the snobbery to a low minimum. Hufflepuffs were friendly by nature although they usually stuck to themselves much like the Slytherins, being intensely loyal and all that. Ravenclaws liked Astoria better than most because she had a sharp tongue and had a love of reading. Being friends with Gryffindors was a little more difficult. This was due to a number of different reasons. The chief one being that Gryffindors weren't interested in getting to know a Slytherin generally. Astoria didn't like Gryffindors as a whole because they had a tendency to paint things as black or white and Astoria herself believed that the world was painted in varying shades of gray. Too often Slytherins were painted as villains and as a non-Dark-magic practicing witch, Astoria resented the label.

She aced her O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T. exams much to the delight of her parents who were happy to have produced a child with an academic turn of mind. Despite being two years older than Astoria, Daphne Greengrass was far less concerned with her future. She was happy to chatter with her girl friends and flirt with every boy in Slytherin House. Daphne's one dream in life was to meet the love of her life and settle down in a fancy house which would then be filled with children. Astoria respected this although on her more cynical days she was prone to scoffing. On those days she could at least admit that the role of a wife and mother was one that Daphne was well suited for. Daphne had rounder curves and hair a lighter brown than Astoria; she helped out the first-years before they were taught not to ask a Slytherin for help and kept her room in Greengrass hall organized. Tragically, Daphne fell in love several times a month despite harboring a deep crush on Theodore Nott for years. While Astoria had been content in being alone, her elder sister was restless unless she had a hand to hold.

When everyone realized that Harry Potter had been telling the truth and that the Dark Lord was indeed returned, apparently from the dead, the Greengrasses had summoned their daughters home immediately. Astoria had been only thirteen and incredibly alarmed at her parents' nervousness. For as long as she could remember her parents had remained steady and calm in the face of everything. But that day they had been panicked and shaky, her mother's hair had been a flyaway mess. Daphne and Astoria had been carefully instructed to call no attention to themselves. To avoid trouble and conflict whenever possible. Above all, they were to keep themselves safe, self-preservation was a Slytherin trait after all. The Greengrass sisters had managed to follow their parents' instruction through the ever-increasing chaos at Hogwarts. But in Daphne's Seventh year, Astoria's Fifth year, things had veered in an awful direction.

The majority of her friends had been in Dumbledore's Army, if not openly then at least they had exuded an air of defiance. When the Carrows were introduced as teachers Astoria had received several detentions, not for supporting Harry Potter or the Order of the Phoenix, but for mouthing off at inopportune moments in class. This at least earned her some passing respect from her friends in other houses who couldn't have let her into Dumbledore's Army as a Slytherin, if she had wanted to join. Post-war Hogwarts was an awful mess and classes were horribly chaotic. Still Astoria managed to graduate towards the top of her class and both of her parents and Daphne had proudly shown up for her graduation. After that Astoria had spent that summer trying to find a purpose for the rest of her life. That summer stretched into a year and then two. This left her where she was now, flitting around the world, trying to find something to hold her in one place for more than a few weeks. So far this had proved unsuccessful.

** I'm thinking about adding something a little racy in a coming chapter. Thoughts?


	8. Chapter 8

Draco decorated his new apartment with the manic enthusiasm of a bored housewife. For the first time in ages, he wasn't sitting around in hollow stagnant rooms. Each and every time Astoria visited him, something had been added or rearranged for the millionth time. Personally she thought it was adorable, the pride that he was taking in something as commonplace as the placement furniture. She had shared this opinion with him and had been awarded a scowl. Draco had then listed a long litany of adjectives preferable to the word adorable. Unable to contain herself, Astoria had burst into peals of laughter in between the words, "dignified" and "charming". Resentfully, Draco had stalked off, much like an offended cat.

More and more often, Astoria popped by Draco's apartment, staying there until the wee hours of the night before Apparating back to Greengrass Hall. Draco hated to see her go, to hear the loud _crack_ of her leaving. He was tempted to ask her to stay, to extend the invitation from the king sized bed, maybe tangle her up in those 500-thread count sheets. But he hesitated, remembering her warning not to get to used to her presence. Despite that, there had been no sign of her whirling away to the next thing or person that caught her fancy. And he hated to toot his own horn but, _toot toot. _She came to him more often than not and Merlin knows that if Astoria was going to be a metaphorical bird then he only wanted to be the nest to which she returned rather than some gilded cage. Draco liked to think that she knew that.

Astoria Apparated onto the steps of Draco's apartment building. She loved the place, it was like bits and pieces of all the places she had ever been and Draco lived in it. Up to the fifth floor she trudged before she knocked on Draco's door before letting herself in. There he was, his tall figure bent over and inspecting the oven seemed to be issuing smoke. Astoria plopped her bag down on an armchair and went to stand next to Draco. "Alright there, Draco?"she asked bemusedly, looking at him fondly. "Oh, Astoria!" Draco popped back up and placed an enthusiastic kiss on her cheek. "Something's off with the oven, I'm trying to charm it to work." He explained, spreading his large hands as if to illustrate his complete helplessness. Smirking at the smudge of oven grease on his pale cheek, Astoria whipped out her wand and pointed at the oven. Almost instantly the oven stopped smoking and Draco's mouth dropped. "How did you -?" he asked, looking at her in surprise, Astoria laughed at his expression. "A pureblood witch is taught to have excellent performances in the kitchen and the bedroom, Draco" she said primly.

He could feel his cheeks turning pink and cursed his pale skin. He really couldn't help it, Astoria couldn't just nonchalantly drop mention of her in a bedroom and not expect some sort of reaction. He could tell that she was laughing at him, her eyes were sparkling with mirth and she was trying to conceal a smirk. She transfigured the salt shaker into a white apron with frills, of all things, around the border and tied it onto herself. Several spells and charms were cast and only two minutes later water was boiling, bread was being sliced, a salad tossed, and a bottle of champagne was pouring itself into two flute glasses. Astoria herself was laying the table in a manner more appropriate for a formal dinner party rather than two twenty-somethings eating dinner in a new apartment. Draco was rather taken aback. Sometimes it was easy to forget that Astoria came from the same formal background that he did. She was just so light and airy, like water that trickled through your fingers and ran everywhere, tumbling as it goes. Maybe it was this moment that Draco Malfoy really fell in love with Astoria Greengrass.

After the dinner, when the dishes were scrubbing themselves, Astoria and Draco sat on the plush couch in comfortable silence. Draco was thinking about how good that food had been and whether or not he could persuade Astoria to cook for him all the time. Astoria was more concentrated on the small circles that Draco was absentmindedly tracing on her thigh. She had worn a dress despite the chill that was starting to creep into the October air and the contact with her bare skin was driving her more than just a little crazy. After a few more minutes this Astoria was fairly sure that she would implode if she didn't do something about it.

Draco was taken aback when Astoria launched herself at him. She threw one long graceful leg over him until she was straddling him. His momentary shock wore off quickly as her warm lips went to work on his. Her hands threaded themselves through his hair and then tugged, eliciting a groan from him. He clutched her slender waist and then let him hands roam freely down her body, feeling its curves. Meanwhile Astoria was making quick work of the buttons on his shirt, tugging on it insistently until Draco shrugged it off. With a elongated sigh she ran her hands down the smooth planes of his chest, feeling the tensing of the muscles underneath. Her slender fingers danced around his waist, tugging on his belt impatiently. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the tiny piece not entirely focused on kissing Astoria, he wanted nothing more to help Astoria with his belt. But the pureblood manners that had been hammered into his head caused him to grab Astoria's wrists, effectively bringing everything to a screeching halt. Astoria's eye were huge and darkened and seemed to ask him why he had stopped. "Astoria," he said hoarsely, "are you, are you-?" Astoria attacked his lips with hers, "Draco Malfoy, do _not _ask me if I'm sure, you silly, silly man." She said as she kissed her way down the smooth column of his throat.

Astoria liked Draco all the more for asking her if she was sure she wanted to keep going. Really she was sure that she had never been surer about anything before. His hands which seemed to be everywhere were driving her absolutely mad. She nipped Draco's shoulder and he moaned loudly. Losing patience, he dragged the hem of her green sundress up above her head and tossed it carelessly on the floor. Draco slowly dragged his hand over her black lace bra, deciding right then and there that black lace was the best thing in the world and couldn't possibly look any better than it did against Astoria's creamy skin. Astoria tugged him closer than she had previously thought was possible. The pair of Slytherins managed to stand and Draco carried her into the bedroom, depositing her on the bed before closing the door and joining her.

When the morning sun shone bright and warm, through the tall windows in Draco's bedroom Astoria's eyes fluttered open. After momentary confusion as to where she was, she realized that Draco's arm was snaked around her waist and her back pressed to his chest. Now she was wide awake and vaguely unnerved. Astoria had fallen asleep with men before, she had had sex before. That wasn't what worried her. But here she lay, _snuggling_ with Draco Malfoy. The feeling was new and what surprised her was that she liked it. Timidly she shifted infinitesimally closer to him and fell back asleep. Draco smiled into her hair. He had woken up when he felt Astoria stiffen next to him. He had lain there, almost able to hear her mind whirring. When she snuggled closer he had smiled in smug victory and joined her in falling asleep again.

When Astoria woke again it was to the enticing smell of something cooking in the kitchen. Draco was noticeably absent from the vast bed so she pulled one of his old Quidditch jerseys over her head and wandered out into the kitchen. Draco was standing in some ridiculously expensive-looking silk boxers making pancakes. Astoria noted that he looked far less dignified with disheveled messy hair. "Good morning," she said cheerily, planting a kiss on his shoulder. He smiled at her brightly, "hey" he said, "I like your shirt." Astoria laughed, "I like you," she retorted pouring herself some orange juice. Draco smiling to himself while flipping pancakes. Then he turned abruptly, "move in with me," he said, looking at her intently. Astoria took a long sip of the orange juice before turning to face Draco and raising a manicured eyebrow. "I like you here, I like this, I like us." Draco continued, feeling like he was babbling but unable to stop it. "Sure," she said, turning back to her orange juice. "What?" Draco asked, unsure if he had heard correctly. All of a sudden her lips were on his and their hands were everywhere. The pancakes got burnt that morning.

** Sorry its been so long! I hope you guys like this, the oneshots will probably get farther apart because I want to write about their most significant days/times/moments. Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

"Draco!" Astoria hollered, "Draco, what time is it?" Draco looked up from his book. Rolling his eyes he checked his watch, "We have to leave in five minutes," he called into the other room where Astoria was trying frantically to get ready. In five minutes time they were supposed to be knocking on the door to Malfoy Manor to have dinner with his parents. Something he was trying desperately not to be nervous about. Astoria appeared in the doorway wearing only a silky gray slip. Briefly Draco wondered if they could cancel the dinner and spend the time doing more _arousing_ activities. "Draco, I don't know what to wear," she whined, crossing her arms and sticking out her lower lip in a delicious pout. Draco smirked, "just go in that," he said. This remark only earned him a scowl. "You are bloody useless Draco Malfoy," she said walking back into the bedroom. Draco took a moment to admire the view that this action afforded before returning to his book.

In the bathroom Astoria stared at her reflection. Draco hadn't let on any nervousness about this dinner and she was envious of him for that. Despite their now tarnished reputation, the Malfoys were a commanding and intimidating family to meet for a casual dinner. Everyone knew about their wealth and their impassive demeanors. Astoria had been able to crack open Draco's marble casing to reveal a soft and mushy interior but she had a feeling that his family was going to be a much different case. As she charmed her hair into behaving she thanked Merlin that old Abraxas Malfoy, Lucius' father, was long dead. Word had it that he had been a terrifying presence. Focusing on the problem at hand, Astoria eyed the pile of dresses that lay around the room. Those summer days when she had just met Draco were long gone and December winds were starting to settle in, snow had already fallen on the ground outside. She pulled on a pair of tights and then stepped into a dark green sweater dress. From her jewelry box she removed some of her more expensive jewelry, family heirlooms usually reserved for fancy events. It would be good to remind the Malfoys that even though they still lived in a state of opulence, the Greengrasses were a family of vast means as well. Her reflection in the mirror winked and wolf-whistled at her as Astoria grabbed a dragonskin clutch and donned her thick coat.

Hearing the click-clack of Astoria's heels on the hardwood floor Draco set down his book and pulled on his own coat. He offered his arm to her and together they Dissapparated to Malfoy Manor.

When they got there they stood outside of a heavily wrought iron gate attached to a thick stone wall covered in snow. The gates creaked open of their own accord and the pair started up the path to the ornate front door. Pausing on the marble steps, Draco planted a sizzling kiss on Astoria's lips before raising the knocker and banging it on the door. Narcissa was the one to pull open the door. Beaming she pulled Draco in for a tight hug before releasing him to get a look at Astoria. She hadn't seen the young witch since Blaise Zabini's engagement party so she had forgotten how pretty the girl was. With her thick dark hair and her cheeks pink from the cold, Narcissa could see why her son was so fascinated with the youngest Greengrass daughter. Draco shook hands firmly with his father who had come in from the dining room. "Mother, father, this is Astoria Greengrass," Draco announced, placing a hand on the small of Astoria's back reassuringly. Astoria herself fought down the urge to curtsy to the regal pair in front of her. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you Astoria," Narcissa said warmly, smiling as she shook the younger witch's hand. Astoria murmured the proper response as she shook hands with Lucius. "Draco will take your coat," Narcissa said lightly, flashing a look at her son. Since the war had ended the Malfoys had been bereft of both house-elves to take coats and guests whose coats would be taken. Following the Malfoys through the echoing house, Astoria tried to drink it all in.

It certainly was a grand house, full of marble and mahogany and ancient paintings of the Malfoy ancestors. But it was cold and empty and Astoria thought that it must have been a lonely childhood to spend in such a house. The dining room was an echoing cavern of marble floor and mahogany paneling on the walls. Windows stretched from the floor to the arched ceiling but the light that filtered through them seemed cold and pale. The table was absurdly large for such a small family and ridiculously ornate. Draco loped into the room and smoothly pulled out Astoria's chair for her. The only other time Draco had pulled out a chair for her, she had had ended up on the floor of the apartment. She had a sneaking suspicion that the rapid appearance of his pureblood manners had something to do with his solemn parents who were carefully observing the couple.

Dinner floated in, six courses of some of the finest food Astoria had eaten. Draco had worried that his parents would revert to their aloof habits that they fell into when out in public. However, after an awkward ten minutes Narcissa had asked Astoria about all the places she had traveled to. Draco had been pleased to see her light up at that question. He wasn't really sure if Astoria had placed a spell on Lucius and Narcissa but slowly she coaxed them out of their detached shells. Watching her banter with his father about the rising price of hair potions Draco realized that she was charming his parents without any sort of magical help. This was impressive because Lucius and Narcissa were renowned for their inapproachability, Draco was their only child and he couldn't recall a time when his parents had looked so delighted to talk to someone. Even his father, still bitter over the Dark Lord's defeat, was chatting amicably with Astoria.

Draco didn't realize that the Malfoys were delighted to talk to someone who didn't regard them with disgust or fear. Even amongst Wizarding high society they were treated carefully, no one really knowing what to make of them and their place in the post-war Wizarding world. They were scorned by those who hadn't been so fortunate as to escape the fate of Azkaban as well as those who had fought alongside Harry Potter. The once illustrious family was now outcasts, holing up in the cold manor that was haunted still by the Dark Lord's presence.

Astoria had warmed up immensely to Draco's parents. Narcissa was clever and witty and stylish. Before the Second Wizarding War, she had been the woman that all good pureblooded girls aspired to be. If Narcissa was delicate and feminine, Lucius was the opposite. He exuded the same sort of grace that Astoria imagined a panther might, sleek and powerful and very dangerous. But he was a clever man and Astoria could tell that he was fiercely protective of his wife. Carefully she made sure to steer conversation away from any dangerous topics; the war, the Dark Lord, and weddings. This was done masterfully on her part and she mentally gave herself a hearty pat on the back.

It was nine o' clock and Draco was really itching to leave. He could tell that his mother wouldn't be able to suppress questions about weddings or grandchildren much longer. Finally he was able to tug Astoria towards the door and help her into her coat before she realized that he was shepherding her out the door. "It was lovely to meet you, Narcissa" Astoria gushed, hugging his mother goodbye. This action made Draco shift uncomfortably because it sounded like she was familiar enough with his mother to ask for embarrassing childhood stories now, something he had really hoped to avoid. This thought didn't last long because the next thing he knew, Astoria proceeded to pull Lucius in for a hug. No one hugged Lucius Malfoy. Draco himself hadn't hugged his father since he was eight and Narcissa wasn't fond of public displays of affection. Anyone else who might have tried probably would have been hexed into oblivion. But Astoria Greengrass merely beamed at his parents before pulling him with her into the snowy night. Draco wondered if his parents were as shell shocked as he was.

Back in the warm apartment, basking in the light of some conjured Christmas lights that were entwined in pine boughs, Astoria smirked at Draco. He looked at her slightly aghast. "I like your parents," she said cheerily. The next thing she knew, she was being shoved roughly against the wall. Then Draco's lips seemed to be kissing her everywhere, hands lifting up her dress and sliding torturously over her skin. "You're wonderful," he breathed on her neck before attacking her lips enthusiastically with his own. Astoria laughed breathlessly, "You're not too bad yourself," she teased, patting his rather nice rear end. "No, I mean it," Draco said between kisses, "I love you."

At this Astoria froze, and, feeling the pretty girl go stock still beneath him, Draco stopped the kissing. Then the full consequence of his last three words hit him the force of a speeding centaur. Internally he started to panic. What the bloody hell was wrong with him? The last time he had told something that he loved it had been when he was six and he had been addressing his family's pet unicorn. Astoria was even more averse to those words than he was. Hadn't she warned him about her flighty nature? About how, even though they had been shacking up together for months, her nature was not one prone to commitment. A declaration of love was probably going to send her running for the hills. Then Draco started to panic. He couldn't lose Astoria, he wasn't sure how or when he came to care so much about the youngest Greengrass, he only knew that he didn't want to see her leave.

Astoria stared at Draco. He didn't seem to be aware of her but she could practically hear all of the thoughts that were racing around in his head. She supposed that she should have seen this coming but now that it was happening, she was frozen and unsure of what to do. Astoria had always sworn to herself that she would run for the hills if a boy ever uttered that fearful, three-word declaration. But now, now that Draco was standing in front of her with his grey eyes filling up with panic, she was confused. She should leave, that was her go-to action and it had yet to fail her. But Astoria was realizing that she didn't want to. Walking out that door and away from Draco was a thought that made her internal organs feel heavy. In these brief tense seconds Astoria was beginning to grasp that she didn't want to leave. She didn't want to walk away from this apartment and Draco, tangling with him in sheets and bickering over laundry and cooking dinner with him or holding his hand in Diagon Alley. Astoria Greengrass was a girl who had always done whatever she wanted. And now she wanted to stay. So she took Draco's face in between her hands, kissing him squarely on the lips. "I love you too," she said firmly.

**AHH! they said it! Thank you all so much for reading and those of you have left reviews, I really appreciate it. As always, feel free to leave a review with feedback, thoughts, or suggestions!


	10. Chapter 10

It had been a month since Draco had accidentally told Astoria that he loved her. Surprisingly, she hadn't run screaming from the room but had told him that she loved him too. This was a shock to Draco but he decided that he would be more than happy to live with it.

Life had been treating the pair well, Draco sometimes wondered if he was dreaming. Astoria went out with friends and occasionally wrote a freelance piece for the Daily Prophet. Draco got an interview for an internship at Gringotts and, much to his surprise, he got the position. At first even the goblins had treated him callously, the wizards and witches being far less subtle about their dislike for him. But as days passed, they figured out that the Malfoy heir might not be such a bad sort anymore. He would get back to their apartment and start cooking dinner. On rare occasions he found Astoria cooking, much to his delight. Their lives fell into a cadence, slow and sweet.

One night mid-March, Draco arrived home later than usual. The day had been long and stressful and filled with paperwork. To his bitter disappointment Astoria was not in the kitchen, in fact there was no sign of dinner anywhere. Since it was later than usual he had half-hoped that she would have started it. Draco himself felt too exhausted to start the meal himself. "Astoria?" He called, wondering where she could be. She emerged from the study, hair piled haphazardly on top of her head. Looking at her ink covered hands; Draco could tell that she had been writing. "What, Draco?" she asked, sounding annoyed at being interrupted. Her tone of voice sparked something in Draco that had been building all day. "What do you mean 'what'? Where is dinner?" he asked, his tone of voice sounding awfully like the one he had used during his days at Hogwarts. Astoria frowned and put her hands on her hips. A tiny part in the back of Draco's mind was sounding alarm bells but the warning was ignored.

"You tell me, Draco, I've been working all day," she said, stalking closer to him. She had been trying to write a piece for the Daily Prophet all day but, to her frustration, had found that she had developed writer's block. Draco loosened his necktie, looking down his nose at Astoria, "so have I, at my real job," he quipped. At his words, Astoria drew herself up to her full height; with all the pureblood superiority that she could muster she spat back, "at least my job pays me."

This comment stung Draco because he was rather proud of himself for bothering to get a job in the first place. Sure the internship hadn't turned into a job yet and sure, he wasn't getting paid yet but at least it was a step. "_I_ don't_ need_ the money," he sneered down at Astoria. By this point, Astoria's temper, which was slow to ignite, had flared up. "Well at least I don't rely on my family's money," she retorted, straying into dangerous territory.

Both Draco and Astoria had been raised in two prominent pureblood families. Whatever disagreements that pureblooded witches and wizards had with each other it was generally understood that one thing was above insult. That was family. An insult to a pureblood's family was far from a few mean words. It was the first step on the warpath. Centuries ago, a slur on a pureblood family would have ignited a feud between those two families, usually ending in multiple deaths. It was unforgiveable and considered to be stooping incredibly low. The Greengrasses were relatively new to pureblood society, having only being considered upper class for the past two hundred years. The Malfoy family, however, had kept themselves in the upper pinnacles of society for seven hundred years. They had hoarded gold, stolen power, risen to unimaginable heights, much like the dragon constellation for which Draco was named. To insult a Malfoy usually meant that you had a death wish or that you were really, really, stupid. Astoria was just angry.

Draco squared his jaw, "_My_ family isn't low-class at least," he said through gritted teeth. Astoria's eyes snapped to his face, Draco could see white hot fury in her eyes. "I'd rather be low-class than a Malfoy," Astoria said in a low voice. Her words seared through Draco in a pain that was not unlike the feeling he had felt when he had been given the Dark Mark. It was made worse because Draco had skipped lunch to go look at engagement rings. Astoria's words reminded him of his family's dark history and his own role in it.

Astoria watched Draco's grey eyes darken like dangerous storm clouds. She knew she had crossed the line and instantly wanted to take back her words, but she lifted her chin in a show of uncaring arrogance. "You are no one, Astoria Greengrass, _no one_," Draco hissed down at her with cold eyes. A hard slap hit him across his pale cheekbones. Rubbing his face Draco only saw Astoria fleeing down the hall before she slammed the bedroom door shut behind her. Immediately Draco was sorry. Of course Astoria was someone, she was an incredibly wonderful someone. He was incredibly ashamed that he had picked a fight with her. Sighing, he sat down heavily on an armchair and put his head in his hands.

In the bedroom, Astoria had locked the door and pushed a heavy trunk full of Draco's books in front of it. She had curled up in the farthest corner of the room and to her great embarrassment; tears began to trickle down her cheeks. The harder she tried to stop the water leaking out of her eyes, the faster they seemed to fall. Giving up on the endeavor Astoria let the sobs rack her body, no longer able to keep them silent.

Down the hall, Draco was running his hands worriedly though his hair. He knew he should apologize but wasn't quite sure how one went about doing that. From the end of the hall it came, faint but present; the unmistakable sound of a girl crying. Draco sat up straight in the chair and looked agonizingly at the closed bedroom door. "Bloody hell," he mumbled, striding quickly to the door and rapping his knuckles against the wood sharply. "Astoria?" he tried, trying to put notes of apology in his voice. "Go away!" came the muffled yell quickly followed by the sound of a lamp hitting the door. "Astoria let me in." This was answered by a jinx hitting the door and shocking him. Frustrated Draco whipped out his wand and pointed in at the door. "Reducto!" he muttered. The door was blasted off its hinges; Draco rushed in, promptly tripping over the trunk of books. From the ground he saw Astoria curled into a corner and glaring at him. Her eyes were rimmed with red and her nose was pink from crying, the sight pulled on Draco's heartstrings. Cautiously he made his way over to her, carefully, oh so carefully, Draco wrapped his arm around Astoria's slim frame and pulled her closer. Much to his surprise she leaned into him, slowly draping her arms around him.

Astoria buried her face in Draco's shirt, loving the crisp fabric against her warm face and inhaling the familiar smell of his cologne. Draco's hand had begun to gently stroke her hair and she felt the faint pressure of his lips on her head. Taking a deep breath, Astoria braced herself to give an apology. Before she could speak however, she heard Draco murmur something into her hair. "What?" she said, raising her head to look him in the eyes. "I'm sorry, Astoria," he said again, slowly brushing a piece of hair away from her face.

Astoria blinked her big eyes at Draco, he wondered if she had heard him. "I'm sorry too, Draco," she blurted before flinging her arms around him again. Draco heaved an internal sigh of relief, the choking sensation of fear was ebbing and he held Astoria a little tighter. "Let's never fight again," he heard her murmur into his shirt, he had never agreed with anything more.

** Ha! Two updates in one day! Even more Drastoria! As always I love it when you guys leave thoughts or suggestions when you review. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed.


	11. Chapter 11

April had arrived, bringing with it green things that were beginning to poke up through the muddy ground. Draco and Astoria's life had fallen in a calm rhythm; two weeks ago he had finally left his internship days behind him and now proudly sat at a cluttered desk in a room filled with eight other people. Astoria had been incredibly happy for him when he brought home news that he had snagged the job from under the noses of the other interns. Draco felt like he was living in some sort of charmed dream, passerby and shopkeepers had become accustomed to the sight of the tall Malfoy weaving his way through Diagon Alley towards the bank.

One overcast Tuesday afternoon, Draco Disapparated to Malfoy Manor. His mother opened the door beaming; he had sent her a letter via owl telling her that he would be dropping by. "Draco!" she cried, throwing her arms around her only child. "Come inside, dear, I have it waiting for you," she said excitedly, ushering Draco into the house. He looked around in surprise; Malfoy Manor had brightened since his last visit, somehow seeming less oppressive. It was probably the fresh spring air. Narcissa walked to a heavy table that held an ornate and gilded box. Picking it up gently, she approached her son. "Here it is," she said excitedly, putting it in his hands. Draco lifted the lid of the small box, nestled inside folds of black velvet was a ring. It wasn't just any only ring, this particular one had graced the hands of Malfoy women for hundreds of years. Unlike the majority of his family's heirlooms, this was one hand-me-down that Draco had always liked. The goblin-wrought gold shone, wrapped around the most perfect diamond that money could buy. Watching her son examine the ring, Narcissa smiled fondly at it, remembering Lucius' extravagant proposal so many years before. "Thank you, mother," Draco said, grinning at Narcissa. She patted his cheek proudly, "good luck my darling."

Astoria was oblivious to all of this until Draco's stately owl tapped at the window. Opening it, she took the note clutched in its talons.

_Astoria,_

_I'm taking you out tonight, wear something pretty._

_Yours,_

_Draco_

Astoria grinned down at the paper, she adored surprises and Draco was particularly good at giving them.

Later that evening, Astoria was placing a last minute charm on her thick hair when she heard Draco come in. Smiling she walked out to greet him. Much to her confusion he was holding a broken picture frame in his hands. "Are you ready?" he asked her excitedly. Lifting an eyebrow, Astoria nodded. Draco strode forward and held out the picture frame. Slowly Astoria took hold of it, the glass was shattered and the frame had several chips in it. Just then the clock on the wall chimed seven o'clock and Astoria felt a tugging sensation at her navel.

The Portkey dropped them on cobbled streets; no passerby seemed to notice the pair of strangers who had appeared from nowhere. Astoria looked around, laughing brightly before throwing herself at Draco, hugging him tightly. Draco grinned happily; it was no easy task to surprise Astoria Greengrass. "Come on, we have dinner reservations," he said, tugging on her hand and pulling her with him down the picturesque French street.

Dinner had been a luxurious affair, filled with delicious French food, glittering chandeliers and champagne. Afterwards Astoria took Draco's hand as they strolled down the lane, seemingly without direction. She sighed happily as they walked, the muggle street lamps beginning to turn on as the sun sank lower. Eventually they came to the end of town, where the cobbled streets gave way to sand and beach. They continued for a few minutes in comfortable silence, Astoria resting her head on Draco's broad shoulders. Finally Draco stopped; taking in a shaky breath he pressed a quick kiss to Astoria's forehead. Astoria opened her mouth, about to ask him what was going on when Draco sank to one knee.

Oh Merlin, his mouth was dry and his tongue felt like sandpaper. How the bloody hell was he supposed to speak, let alone propose marriage to Astoria? But he had come too far to give up now so he gritted his teeth and pulled the black velvet box from his pocket.

Oh Merlin, this was really happening. It was really happening. Since Draco had gotten down to one knee about 4.7 seconds ago, everything in the world had come to a dull roar. This was _it._ The moment that little girls dream about, Astoria realized in those 4.7 seconds that this was what _she _had dreamed about. The emergence of the black velvet box from Draco's pocket elicited a small gasp from her.

Draco heard the small intake of breath from Astoria and looked up. Right then, he wanted to stop time, to keep everything in the world exactly as it was at that exact second. Astoria looked stunning. Her long mahogany hair tumbled in waves and swayed in the breeze. The gray shift dress she was wearing billowed around her and one dainty hand had risen to cover her mouth in shock. Slowly, it seemed so slowly, Draco lifted the lid of the box to reveal the ring inside.

Astoria could feel her eyes widen, the ring that glistened at her from its place in the box was stunning. The gold band that hugged the shining diamond was intricately wrought.

"Astoria Greengrass, I promise to love you for all the days of my life and forever after that; will you marry me?" His voice was low, husky with some sort of emotion that was welling up in his throat.

Astoria removed her hand from her mouth to reveal the biggest smile that Draco had ever seen, "Yes! Yes!" she replied, laughing breathlessly. Draco then slid the ring onto her finger, it was a perfect fit. His lips brushed the soft skin of her hand before he stood. Then they were holding onto each other, tighter than they ever had before. Draco lifted her up and spun her around, laughing as he did so. This was an exhilarating feeling; its felt like he had conquered all that there was to conquer just by sliding that ring onto Astoria's finger.

The sun was sliding smoothly beneath the waves as Astoria and Draco walked hand in hand back through town, both aglow with their own happiness. Strangers passing by smiled fondly at the pair and their air of quiet delight.

**They're engaged! Our babies are engaged! Thank you so much to everyone who has left positive reviews or really any reviews, you guys delight me so much! Anyways, I'd love to hear your feedback on this chapter as always. Thanks so much!


	12. Chapter 12

Of course everyone was delighted. Astoria's parents had been over the moon. Despite Draco's fear that they would hate him for living in sin with their daughter for months or being an ex Death Eater, the Greengrasses had liked the young Malfoy. He seemed to steady the hurricane that Astoria was. Lucius and Narcissa were thrilled as well. After the war not a single soul had wanted to be associated with the Malfoy name, let alone an eligible girl. Not only had he snagged himself a girl but Narcissa thought that he had gotten the best one.

The wedding planning was absolute madness of course. With both the bride and groom to-be coming from old, traditional families the wedding was expected to be quite the extravagant affair. Almost every day Draco contemplated kidnapping his fiancé and eloping (Blaise had done it and he was beginning to understand why). But Astoria, surprisingly, had thrown herself wholeheartedly into the wedding plans and she would probably murder him if he tried to elope with her. Cake samples had filled up half of the refrigerator and possible flower arrangements were strewn throughout the apartment. Whenever he arrived home it looked as though he was walking into the wedding issue of _Witch Weekly_. He was content just to watch Astoria organize the thing. His mother and hers were almost relentless with their suggestions, offering this idea and that idea and _oh_ what if they did that with the flowers? Draco wasn't sure how she hadn't been driven to insanity by this point. He was certainly getting childishly happy watching her bark orders at people though.

Astoria was reveling in this. Their wedding announcement had made the front page of the _Daily Prophet_, attracting a surprising amount of attention. She knew that it made Draco uncomfortable, in the five years since the end of the war he and his family had gratefully sunk out of the public eye. That's why she had commandeered the wedding. She went out without him to run errands for bouquets and favors and decorations. Because of this, rumors emerged that the entire wedding was an arranged affair as the Malfoys' attempt to regain public favor. As a result, Astoria sent a strongly worded Howler to the author of that particular gossip column and Draco never knew about it.

The wedding was going to take place in one of Malfoy Manor's smaller ballrooms during November. Narcissa and her mother had joined forces, becoming quite formidable as a team. During early May, Narcissa, Mrs. Greengrass, and Daphne had cleared an entire day to go dress shopping with Astoria. Astoria's bridesmaids would be Parker, a fellow Slytherin who had been in her year, and Eleanor who was a freelance writer for the _Daily Prophet_ along with Astoria. Madame Malkin's shop had been cleared entirely for the six women. Astoria had chosen a metallic gold silk fabric to compose the dresses for Parker, Eleanor, and Daphne; the color matched the gold on her ring perfectly. Those dresses fell gracefully to the ground. The real problem was Astoria's own dress. She was totally indecisive when it came to this, arguably, most important decision. At last she came out in a creamy taffeta dress with long sleeves of organza. It was an elegant piece, with its long train and the thin gold ribbon that tied around Astoria's waist. At once, Mrs. Greengrass burst into tears and Narcissa smiled softly at her son's fiancé, now she knew that the grandchildren would be spectacularly good looking. Parker and Eleanor began to gush over it; it was magnificent, conservative but stylish, definitely timeless. Astoria put her hands on her hips and eyed herself in the mirror before sighing in frustration. "I don't know," she wailed, tossing her hands up in a gesture of lost hope, "I'm going to change." With this she glided towards toward the changing room. "Daphne, can you help me?" She called, unable to reach the buttons on the back of the dress.

Quietly, Daphne slipped into the changing room. Astoria sat on a plush stool with her head in her hands. "What's wrong?" Daphne asked gently, kneeling on the floor beside her baby sister. "I don't know, Daphne, all these dresses are gorgeous." Astoria exclaimed in frustration before turning to her sister, "What do you think?" Daphne took a moment. "I think this one is just right," she finally replied, gesturing to the dress that Astoria was still wearing. "I think it's traditional but still perfect on you, I'm sure Draco would love it," she said, nudging Astoria playfully. "You're right Daphne, I think I'm going to pick this one," the younger Greengrass said gratefully. Daphne rose and Astoria followed suit, "I'll be out there," Daphne said, opening the door to leave. Suddenly her younger sister had wrapped her arms around Daphne for the first time in years, "Thanks Daphne," Astoria whispered into her sister's hair. Daphne hugged her back, "You're welcome Astoria, I'm so proud of you," she whispered back.

Draco looked up when Astoria came in, "don't look!" she screeched at him before shrinking the dresses with her wand. "Is that your dress?" Draco demanded, obliging his fiancé and clapping his hands over his eyes. "No, it's yours," came the snarky retort. He could hear her locking it in her old school trunk in the closet. "What's going to stop me from peeking at it when you're gone," he asked just to tease her. "Your desire to keep your family jewels attached to the rest of your body," Astoria said, making Draco shift uncomfortably in his seat on the sofa. But then she came and kissed him softly on the cheek and he knew that she probably hadn't meant it. Nevertheless, he would stay away from that box.

The next morning Astoria was awoken by the entrance of sunlight into their bedroom. Draco was still sleeping; he slept so soundly that even a herd of hippogriffs could trample through the room and he could just turn over in his sleep. Astoria propped her head up against her hand and watched Draco sleep. For the first few weeks they had lived together he hadn't even been able through the night. He would toss and turn, clutching at the sheets and crying out. This had woken Astoria and, helplessly, she had watched him battle nightmares for the first time. He whimpered in his sleep, sometimes pleading words would escape him and Astoria realized that every night he dreamed of his time in the Dark Lord's service. Most of the words that Draco said in his she hadn't been able to understand, she didn't need to. Gently she had shaken him awake, blearily he had looked at her, his gray eyes shining with shame. She never said anything to him. She only pulled him closer to her body, curling her arms around him protectively. As time passed, the nightmares seemed to ebb and Draco slept like a baby through the night, much to her relief.

He was still so ashamed of the part he had played in the war. Sometimes, when they were out, they would catch sight of a witch or wizard who had fought alongside Harry Potter and Draco would lower his head. Working at Gringotts had forced him to face this fear of his and he had become much less wary when they walked in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade. Astoria smiled softly at her sleeping Draco, his abnormally light hair tousled from sleep. Leaning over, she placed a gentle kiss on his shoulder and rose from the bed to shower.

** Thanks for reading guys! You are all so precious and much thanks goes out to those of you who have left your thoughts or suggestions as reviews, it really means a lot. Let me know if you think that any of the characters are/have been too OOC so far. Thank you all!


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